2002 New England Patriots season

43rd season in franchise history November 2013 March 2026 New England Patriots 2002 9–7 2nd AFC East Bill Belichick Robert Kraft Gillette Stadiumhttps://www.courant.com/2002/08/06/new-stadium-has-face-value/ New Stadium Has Face Value Hartford Courant August 6, 2002 June 28, 2015 Did not qualify ST Larry IzzoCB Ty LawSS Lawyer MilloyDT Richard SeymourK Adam VinatieriC Damien Woody K Adam Vinatieri (1st team) 249px Patriots seasons The 2002 season was the New England Patriots' 33rd in the National Football League (NFL), their 43rd overall and their third under head coach Bill Belichick. They finished with a 9–7 record, good enough for second in the division but not a playoff berth. It was their first season at their new home field, Gillette Stadium, which replaced the adjacent Foxboro Stadium. This was the first season since 1992 that Drew Bledsoe was not on the opening day roster, as he was traded to the Buffalo Bills during the offseason. Following their victory in Super Bowl XXXVI seven months earlier, the Patriots played their first game in the new Gillette Stadium in the NFL's primetime Monday Night Football opener against the Pittsburgh Steelers, a win for the Patriots. After an additional two wins to begin the season, including a 44–7 road win against the division rival New York Jets, the team lost five of its next seven games, allowing an average of 137 rushing yards a game during that span. In the final week of the season, the Patriots defeated the Miami Dolphins on an overtime Adam Vinatieri field goal to give both teams a 9–7 record. A few hours later, the Jets, who defeated the Patriots the week prior, also finished with a 9–7 record with a win over the Green Bay Packers. Due to their record against common opponents, after the Jets won the tiebreaker for the division title, both the Patriots and Dolphins were eliminated from the playoff contention.https://sports.yahoo.com/nfl/recap?gid=20021229017 New England 27, Miami 24, OT Yahoo! Sports December 29, 2002 January 28, 2008 The 2002 season was the only time the Patriots failed to win at least 10 games during the regular season in the Brady–Belichick era. It also marked the only season with Tom Brady as the primary starter that the team failed to make the playoffs, and the only time that Brady lost four consecutive games. The Patriots would not fail to win another AFC East title or miss the postseason again until 2008. 2 Offseason Additions Subtractions TE Cam Cleeland (Saints) QB Drew Bledsoe (Bills) TE Christian Fauria (Seahawks) WR Terry Glenn (Packers) WR Donald Hayes (Panthers) LB Bryan Cox (Saints) DE Rick Lyle (Jets) WR Charles Johnson (Bills) DT Brandon Mitchell (Seahawks) TE Rod Rutledge (Texans) CB Terrance Shaw (Raiders) 2002 expansion draft 2002 NFL expansion draft + New England Patriots selected during the expansion draft Round Overall Name Position Expansion team—10Matt StevensSafetyHouston Texans 2002 NFL draft 2002 NFL draft 2002 New England Patriots 1 21 Daniel Graham Tight end Colorado from Tampa Bay via Oakland and WashingtonThe Patriots traded their first-, third- and seventh-round draft picks to the Washington Redskins for the Redskins' first-round pick.http://www.patriots.com/history/index.cfm?ac=DraftTrade&year=2002&draft=yes&submit=Submit https://web.archive.org/web/20110519102519/http://www.patriots.com/history/index.cfm?ac=DraftTrade&year=2002&draft=yes&submit=Submit dead 2011-05-19 Draft summary Patriots.com May 19, 2011 yes 2 65 Deion Branch Wide receiver Louisville yes 4 117 Rohan Davey Quarterback LSU from DenverThe Patriots traded fourth- and fifth-round draft picks to the Denver Broncos for the Broncos' fourth-round pick. The Patriots received the fifth-round pick in a trade with the Jacksonville Jaguars for the Patriots' sixth-round pick in the 2001 NFL draft.Patriots.com summary https://web.archive.org/web/20110519102519/http://www.patriots.com/history/index.cfm?ac=DraftTrade&year=2002&draft=yes&submit=Submit May 19, 2011 yes 4 126 Jarvis Green Defensive end LSU from Green BayThe Patriots received a fourth-round pick from the Green Bay Packers in a trade for Terry Glenn and a conditional pick in the 2003 NFL draft.Patriots.com summary https://web.archive.org/web/20110519102519/http://www.patriots.com/history/index.cfm?ac=DraftTrade&year=2002&draft=yes&submit=Submit May 19, 2011 yes 7 237 Antwoine Womack Running back Virginia from Miami via DallasThe Patriots traded a fifth-round pick to the Dallas Cowboys for the Cowboys' fifth- and seventh-round draft picks.Patriots.com summary https://web.archive.org/web/20110519102519/http://www.patriots.com/history/index.cfm?ac=DraftTrade&year=2002&draft=yes&submit=Submit May 19, 2011 no 7 253 David Givens Wide receiver Notre Dame Compensatory pick yes no no Undrafted free agents + 2002 undrafted free agents of notePlayerPositionCollegeT.C. TaylorWide ReceiverJackson State Staff 2002 New England Patriots #0D254C #D6D6D6 #C60C30 Chairman/CEO – Robert Kraft Vice chairman – Jonathan Kraft Senior vice president/coo – Andy Wasynczuk Vice president of player personnel – Scott Pioli Assistant director of player personnel – Jason Licht Director of college scouting – Larry Cook Assistant director of college scouting – Lionel Vital Assistant director of pro scouting – Andre Tippett Assistant director of pro scouting – Keith Kidd Football research director – Ernie Adams Head coach – Bill Belichick Assistant head coach/offensive line – Dante Scarnecchia Offensive coordinator/quarterbacks – Charlie Weis Running backs – Ivan Fears Wide receivers – Brian Daboll Assistant offensive line – Jeff Davidson Coaching assistant – Josh McDaniels Defensive coordinator/defensive line – Romeo Crennel Inside linebackers – Pepper Johnson Outside linebackers – Rob Ryan Defensive Backs – Eric Mangini Coaching assistant – Nick Caserio Special teams – Brad Seely Strength and conditioning – Mike Woicik Assistant strength and conditioning – Markus Paul Final roster 2002 New England Patriots 53 7 5 12 Tom Brady  6 Rohan Davey y 19 Damon Huard 44 Marc Edwards American football FB 33 Kevin Faulk KR 35 Patrick Pass FB 21 J. R. Redmond 32 Antowain Smith 83 Deion Branch y KR 80 Troy Brown PR 84 Fred Coleman 87 David Givens y 81 Donald Hayes 86 David Patten 49 Fred Baxter 85 Cam Cleeland 88 Christian Fauria 63 Joe Andruzzi G 68 Tom Ashworth G/T 77 Mike Compton American football G 71 Russ Hochstein G 74 Kenyatta Jones T 70 Adrian Klemm G/T 62 Matt Knutson T y 72 Matt Light T 64 Greg Randall T 67 Grey Ruegamer C 65 Damien Woody C 97 Jarvis Green DE y 91 Bobby Hamilton American football DE 99 Bernard Holsey DT 96 Rick Lyle DT 55 Willie McGinest DE 98 Anthony Pleasant DE 93 Richard Seymour DT 54 Tedy Bruschi MLB/OLB 53 Larry Izzo OLB 52 Ted Johnson MLB 55 Willie McGinest DE 95 Roman Phifer OLB 59 Maugaula Tuitele OLB 50 Mike Vrabel OLB 22 Terrell Buckley CB 30 Je'Rod Cherry CB/S 27 Victor Green FS 23 Antwan Harris SS 29 Chris Hayes American football FS 34 Tebucky Jones FS 24 Ty Law CB 36 Lawyer Milloy SS 25 Leonard Myers American football CB 66 Lonie Paxton LS  4 Adam Vinatieri K 13 Ken Walter P 58 Matt Chatham LB IR 82 Daniel Graham TE IR y 31 Ben Kelly American football CB IR 37 Rob Kelly American football S IR 61 Stephen Neal G IR 45 Otis Smith American football CB IR 42 Antwoine Womack RB IR y 75 Maurice Anderson DT 28 Dyshod Carter CB 76 Brandon Gorin T 94 Ken Kocher DT y 16 Scott McCready WR Regular season Schedule Week Date Opponent Result Record Venue Recap 1 September 9, 2002 Pittsburgh Steelers W 30–14 1–0 Gillette Stadium Recap 2 September 15 at New York Jets W 44–7 2–0 Giants Stadium Recap 3 September 22 Kansas City Chiefs W 41–38 (OT) 3–0 Gillette Stadium Recap 4 September 29 at San Diego Chargers L 14–21 3–1 Qualcomm Stadium Recap 5 October 6 at Miami Dolphins L 13–26 3–2 Pro Player Stadium Recap 6 October 13 Green Bay Packers L 10–28 3–3 Gillette Stadium Recap 7 Bye 8 October 27 Denver Broncos L 16–24 3–4 Gillette Stadium Recap 9 November 3 at Buffalo Bills W 38–7 4–4 Ralph Wilson Stadium Recap 10 November 10 at Chicago Bears W 33–30 5–4 Memorial Stadium Recap 11 November 17 at Oakland Raiders L 20–27 5–5 Network Associates Coliseum Recap 12 November 24 Minnesota Vikings W 24–17 6–5 Gillette Stadium Recap 13 November 28 at Detroit Lions W 20–12 7–5 Ford Field Recap 14 December 8 Buffalo Bills W 27–17 8–5 Gillette Stadium Recap 15 December 16, 2002 at Tennessee Titans L 7–24 8–6 The Coliseum Recap 16 December 22 New York Jets L 17–30 8–7 Gillette Stadium Recap 17 December 29 Miami Dolphins W 27–24 (OT) 9–7 Gillette Stadium Recap Game summaries Week 1: vs. Pittsburgh Steelers New England Patriots 2002 2;text-align:center; autocollapse Week 1: Pittsburgh Steelers (0–0) at New England Patriots (0–0) – Game summary Steelers 7 0 0 7 Patriots 7 3 17 3 Gillette Stadium, Foxborough, Massachusetts September 9, 2002 9:00 p.m. Overcast, 86 F C ABC Al Michaels, John Madden and Melissa Stark Tony Corrente (99) 68,436 Recap, Game Book First quarter NE – Christian Fauria 4-yard pass from Tom Brady (Adam Vinatieri kick), 10:57. Patriots 7–0. Drive: 4 plays, 26 yards, 1:54. PIT – Hines Ward 13-yard pass from Kordell Stewart (Todd Peterson kick), 4:50. Tied 7–7. Drive: 10 plays, 74 yards, 6:07. Second quarter NE – Adam Vinatieri 45-yard field goal, 2:23. Patriots 10–7. Drive: 9 plays, 44 yards, 3:11. Third quarter NE – Donald Hayes 40-yard pass from Tom Brady (Adam Vinatieri kick), 13:27. Patriots 17–7. Drive: 4 plays, 74 yards, 1:33. NE – Deion Branch 22-yard pass from Tom Brady (Adam Vinatieri kick), 7:03. Patriots 24–7. Drive: 9 plays, 49 yards, 6:04. NE – Adam Vinatieri 28-yard field goal, 2:08. Patriots 27–7. Drive: 8 plays, 39 yards, 2:50. Fourth quarter NE – Adam Vinatieri 27-yard field goal, 9:32. Patriots 30–7. Drive: 6 plays, 22 yards, 2:59. PIT – Kordell Stewart 1-yard run (Todd Peterson kick), 0:00. Patriots 30–14. Drive: 11 plays, 66 yards, 2:55. Top passers PIT – Kordell Stewart – 24/37, 242 yards, TD, 3 INT NE – Tom Brady – 29/43, 294 yards, 3 TD Top rushers PIT – Jerome Bettis – 8 rushes, 35 yards NE – Antowain Smith – 17 rushes, 60 yards Top receivers PIT – Hines Ward – 8 receptions, 90 yards, TD NE – Deion Branch – 6 receptions, 83 yards, TD Week 2: at New York Jets New England Patriots 2002 2;text-align:center; autocollapse Week 2: New England Patriots (1–0) at New York Jets (1–0) – Game summary Patriots 0 10 17 17 Jets 0 0 7 0 Giants Stadium, East Rutherford, New Jersey September 15, 2002 1:00 p.m. Hazy, 78 F C CBS Dick Enberg, Dan Dierdorf, and Bonnie Bernstein Larry Nemmers (20) 78,726 Recap, Game Book First quarter No scoring plays. Second quarter NE – Cam Cleeland 1-yard pass from Tom Brady (Adam Vinatieri kick), 9:00. Patriots 7–0. Drive: 6 plays, 80 yards, 3:06. NE – Adam Vinatieri 28-yard field goal, 0:05. Patriots 10–0. Drive: 19 plays, 70 yards, 6:40. Third quarter NE – Tebucky Jones 24-yard fumble return (Adam Vinatieri kick), 13:15. Patriots 17–0. NE – Adam Vinatieri 31-yard field goal, 5:56. Patriots 20–0. Drive: 12 plays, 65 yards, 6:02. NE – Victor Green 90-yard interception return (Adam Vinatieri kick), 4:47. Patriots 27–0. NYJ – Anthony Becht 11-yard pass from Vinny Testaverde (John Hall kick), 0:57. Patriots 27–7. Drive: 4 plays, 69 yards, 1:53. Fourth quarter NE – Deion Branch 49-yard pass from Tom Brady (Adam Vinatieri kick), 11:13. Patriots 34–7. Drive: 8 plays, 75 yards, 4:57. NE – Adam Vinatieri 40-yard field goal, 8:47. Patriots 37–7. Drive: 4 plays, 2 yards, 1:26. NE – Kevin Faulk 2-yard run (Adam Vinatieri kick), 3:22. Patriots 44–7. Drive: 7 plays, 37 yards, 4:35. Top passers NE – Tom Brady – 25/35, 269 yards, 2 TD, INT NYJ – Vinny Testaverde – 15/23, 150 yards, TD, INT Top rushers NE – Antowain Smith – 15 rushes, 66 yards NYJ – Matt Turk – 1 rush, 14 yards Top receivers NE – Troy Brown – 9 receptions, 94 yards NYJ – Santana Moss – 1 reception, 35 yards Week 3: vs. Kansas City Chiefs New England Patriots 2002 2;text-align:center; autocollapse Week 3: Kansas City Chiefs (1–1) at New England Patriots (2–0) – Game summary Chiefs 3 7 7 21 0 Patriots 0 9 8 21 3 Gillette Stadium, Foxborough, Massachusetts September 22, 2002 1:00 p.m. Warm and humid, 80 F C CBS Dick Enberg, Dan Dierdorf, and Bonnie Bernstein Bill Carollo (63) 68,436 Recap, Game Book First quarter KC – Morten Andersen 39-yard field goal, 2:15. Chiefs 3–0. Drive: 9 plays, 37 yards, 4:36. Second quarter KC – Eddie Kennison 14-yard pass from Trent Green (Morten Andersen kick), 14:56. Chiefs 10–0. Drive: 3 plays, 26 yards, 0:47. NE – Kevin Faulk 23-yard pass from Tom Brady (run failed), 6:57. Chiefs 10–6. Drive: 8 plays, 85 yards, 4:40. NE – Adam Vinatieri 37-yard field goal, 0:05. Chiefs 10–9. Drive: 6 plays, 22 yards, 0:51. Third quarter KC – Priest Holmes 3-yard pass from Trent Green (Morten Andersen kick), 13:00. Chiefs 17–9. Drive: 4 plays, 37 yards, 2:00. NE – Troy Brown 9-yard pass from Tom Brady (Antowain Smith run), 7:45. Tied 17–17. Drive: 11 plays, 71 yards, 5:15. Fourth quarter NE – Daniel Graham 18-yard pass from Tom Brady (Adam Vinatieri kick), 14:55. Patriots 24–17. Drive: 4 plays, 56 yards, 1:08. NE – David Patten 38-yard pass from Tom Brady (Adam Vinatieri kick), 13:23. Patriots 31–17. Drive: 3 plays, 39 yards, 1:24. KC – Eddie Kennison 15-yard pass from Trent Green (Morten Andersen kick), 9:23. Patriots 31–24. Drive: 8 plays, 62 yards, 4:00. NE – Antowain Smith 42-yard run (Adam Vinatieri kick), 6:10. Patriots 38–24. Drive: 6 plays, 75 yards, 3:13. KC – Priest Holmes 6-yard run (Morten Andersen kick), 4:37. Patriots 38–31. Drive: 6 plays, 59 yards, 1:33. KC – Priest Holmes 1-yard run (Morten Anderson kick), 0:00. Tied 38–38. Drive: 11 plays, 54 yards, 2:30. Overtime NE – Adam Vinatieri 35-yard field goal, 10:20. Patriots 41–38. Drive: 9 plays, 53 yards, 4:40. Top passers KC – Trent Green – 16/25, 149 yards, 3 TD, 2 INT NE – Tom Brady – 39/54, 410 yards, 4 TD, INT Top rushers KC – Priest Holmes – 30 rushes, 180 yards, 2 TD NE – Antowain Smith – 16 rushes, 92 yards, TD Top receivers KC – Johnnie Morton – 2 receptions, 44 yards NE – Troy Brown – 16 receptions, 176 yards, TD Week 4: at San Diego Chargers New England Patriots 2002 2;text-align:center; autocollapse Week 4: New England Patriots (3–0) at San Diego Chargers (3–0) – Game summary Patriots 7 7 0 0 Chargers 7 7 7 0 Qualcomm Stadium, San Diego, California September 29, 2002 4:15 p.m. Partly cloudy, 67 F C CBS Greg Gumbel, Phil Simms, and Armen Keteyian Ron Blum (7) 66,463 Recap, Game Book First quarter NE – Christian Fauria 5-yard pass from Tom Brady (Adam Vinatieri kick), 9:26. Patriots 7–0. Drive: 11 plays, 67 yards, 5:34. SD – Curtis Conway 52-yard pass from Drew Brees (Steve Christie kick), 4:17. Tied 7–7. Drive: 5 plays, 87 yards, 2:33. Second quarter NE – Mike Vrabel 1-yard pass from Tom Brady (Adam Vinatieri kick), 14:13. Patriots 14–7. Drive: 10 plays, 65 yards, 5:04. SD – LaDainian Tomlinson 37-yard run (Steve Christie kick), 2:19. Tied 14–14. Drive: 9 plays, 69 yards, 4:33. Third quarter SD – LaDainian Tomlinson 58-yard run (Steve Christie kick), 14:14. Chargers 21–14. Drive: 2 plays, 67 yards, 0:46. Top passers NE – Tom Brady – 36/53, 353 yards, 2 TD, 2 INT SD – Drew Brees – 10/18, 104 yards, TD Top rushers NE – Antowain Smith – 16 rushes, 78 yards SD – LaDainian Tomlinson – 27 rushes, 217 yards, 2 TD Top receivers NE – Deion Branch – 13 receptions, 128 yards SD – Curtis Conway – 3 receptions, 69 yards, TD The loss ended the Patriots' 10-game winning streak against the Chargers, losing to them for the first time since the 1970 season.Chargers vs. Patriots Results https://www.footballdb.com/teams/nfl/los-angeles-chargers/teamvsteam?opp=19 The Football DatabaseThe Patriots and Chargers did not meet at all between 1984 and 1993 inclusive — an impossible occurrence in the pre-1978 or post-2002 NFL — because non-division conference matchups were entirely based on the previous season’s standings.Urena Ivan Pro Football Schedules: A Complete Historical Guide from 1933 to the Present McFarland 0786473517 17, 221https://www.pro-football-reference.com/blog/?p=521 History of the NFL's structure and formats, part two Jason Lisk May 19, 2008 Pro-Football-Reference.com https://web.archive.org/web/20111105192802/https://www.pro-football-reference.com/blog/?p=521 November 5, 2011 September 2, 2022 Week 5: at Miami Dolphins New England Patriots 2002 2;text-align:center; autocollapse Week 5: New England Patriots (3–1) at Miami Dolphins (3–1) – Game summary Patriots 0 0 6 7 Dolphins 6 10 7 3 Pro Player Stadium, Miami Gardens, Florida October 6, 2002 1:00 p.m. Sunny, 87 F C CBS Greg Gumbel, Phil Simms, and Armen Keteyian Terry McAulay (77) 73,369 Recap, Game Book First quarter MIA – Jay Fiedler 8-yard run (kick blocked), 0:08. Dolphins 6–0. Drive: 9 plays, 39 yards, 5:13. Second quarter MIA – Chris Chambers 7-yard pass from Jay Fiedler (Olindo Mare kick), 11:38. Dolphins 13–0. Drive: 8 plays, 29 yards, 3:09. MIA – Olindo Mare 40-yard field goal, 1:11. Dolphins 16–0. Drive: 9 plays, 39 yards, 4:31. Third quarter NE – David Patten 34-yard pass from Tom Brady (pass failed), 9:35. Dolphins 16–6. Drive: 5 plays, 68 yards, 1:35. MIA – Randy McMichael 1-yard pass from Jay Fiedler (Olindo Mare kick), 1:05. Dolphins 23–6. Drive: 10 plays, 74 yards, 5:29. Fourth quarter NE – David Patten 25-yard pass from Tom Brady (Adam Vinatieri kick), 4:41. Dolphins 23–13. Drive: 8 plays, 80 yards, 2:58. MIA – Olindo Mare 33-yard field goal, 1:25. Dolphins 26–13. Drive: 8 plays, 27 yards, 3:16. Top passers NE – Tom Brady – 17/31, 240 yards, 2 TD, 2 INT MIA – Jay Fiedler – 17/27, 190 yards, 2 TD Top rushers NE – Kevin Faulk – 2 rushes, 17 yards MIA – Ricky Williams – 36 rushes, 105 yards Top receivers NE – David Patten – 5 receptions, 102 yards, 2 TD MIA – Chris Chambers – 6 receptions, 62 yards, TD Week 6: vs. Green Bay Packers New England Patriots 2002 2;text-align:center; autocollapse Week 6: Green Bay Packers (4–1) at New England Patriots (3–2) – Game summary Packers 0 14 7 7 Patriots 0 3 0 7 Gillette Stadium, Foxborough, Massachusetts October 13, 2002 1:00 p.m. Overcast, 61 F C Fox Dick Stockton, Troy Aikman, Cris Collinsworth, and Pam Oliver Bernie Kukar (86) 68,436 Recap, Game Book Second quarter NE – Adam Vinatieri 32-yard field goal, 9:36. Patriots 3–0. Drive: 10 plays, 50 yards, 3:58. GB – William Henderson 3-yard pass from Brett Favre (Ryan Longwell kick), 3:46. Packers 7–3. Drive: 12 plays, 76 yards, 5:50. GB – Ahman Green 8-yard pass from Brett Favre (Ryan Longwell kick), 3:03. Packers 14–3. Drive: 1 play, 8 yards, 0:05. Third quarter GB – Bubba Franks 2-yard pass from Brett Favre (Ryan Longwell kick), 3:50. Packers 21–3. Drive: 7 plays, 94 yards, 4:05. Fourth quarter GB – Ahman Green 1-yard run (Ryan Longwell kick), 12:09. Packers 28–3. Drive: 7 plays, 65 yards, 4:16. NE – David Givens 4-yard pass from Tom Brady (Adam Vinatieri kick), 5:57. Packers 28–10. Drive: 6 plays, 44 yards, 2:03. Top passers GB – Brett Favre – 17/27, 147 yards, 3 TD NE – Tom Brady – 24/44, 183 yards, TD, 3 INT Top rushers GB – Ahman Green – 31 rushes, 136 yards, TD NE – Antowain Smith – 13 rushes, 75 yards Top receivers GB – Bubba Franks – 5 receptions, 46 yards, TD NE – Deion Branch – 5 receptions, 38 yards Week 8: vs. Denver Broncos New England Patriots 2002 2;text-align:center; autocollapse Week 8: Denver Broncos (5–2) at New England Patriots (3–3) – Game summary Broncos 7 14 0 3 Patriots 0 7 3 6 Gillette Stadium, Foxborough, Massachusetts October 27, 2002 4:15 p.m. Sunny, 60 F C CBS Greg Gumbel, Phil Simms, and Armen Keteyian Tom White (123) 68,436 Recap, Game Book First quarter DEN – Clinton Portis 1-yard run (Jason Elam kick), 10:08. Broncos 7–0. Drive: 7 plays, 48 yards, 3:10. Second quarter DEN – Shannon Sharpe 8-yard pass from Brian Griese (Jason Elam kick), 14:55. Broncos 14–0. Drive: 9 plays, 72 yards, 4:56. NE – Antowain Smith 3-yard run (Adam Vinatieri kick), 7:16. Broncos 14–7. Drive: 6 plays, 42 yards, 2:54. DEN – Clinton Portis 4-yard run (Jason Elam kick), 2:45. Broncos 21–7. Drive: 8 plays, 70 yards, 4:31. Third quarter NE – Adam Vinatieri 26-yard field goal, 7:26. Broncos 21–10. Drive: 7 plays, 54 yards, 2:51. Fourth quarter NE – Christian Fauria 8-yard pass from Tom Brady (pass failed), 14:55. Broncos 21–16. Drive: 4 plays, 35 yards, 1:07. DEN – Jason Elam 19-yard field goal, 9:45. Broncos 24–16. Drive: 11 plays, 67 yards, 5:10. Top passers DEN – Brian Griese – 18/23, 229 yards, TD, INT NE – Tom Brady – 15/29, 130 yards, TD Top rushers DEN – Clinton Portis – 26 rushes, 111 yards, 2 TD NE – Antowain Smith – 13 rushes, 58 yards, TD Top receivers DEN – Ed McCaffrey – 8 receptions, 116 yards NE – Troy Brown – 7 receptions, 59 yards Week 9: at Buffalo Bills New England Patriots 2002 2;text-align:center; autocollapse Week 9: New England Patriots (3–4) at Buffalo Bills (5–3) – Game summary Patriots 7 10 14 7 Bills 0 7 0 0 Ralph Wilson Stadium, Orchard Park, New York November 3, 2002 1:00 p.m. Cloudy, 37 F C CBS Greg Gumbel, Phil Simms and Armen Keteyian Dick Hantak (105) 73,448 Recap, Game Book First quarter NE – Christian Fauria 5-yard pass from Tom Brady (Adam Vinatieri kick), 10:27. Patriots 7–0. Drive: 8 plays, 68 yards, 4:33. Second quarter NE – Antowain Smith 13-yard pass from Tom Brady (Adam Vinatieri kick), 12:54. Patriots 14–0. Drive: 8 plays, 57 yards, 4:49. NE – Adam Vinatieri 46-yard field goal, 3:49. Patriots 17–0. Drive: 9 plays, 52 yards, 3:48. BUF – Peerless Price 1-yard pass from Drew Bledsoe (Mike Hollis kick), 0:10. Patriots 17–7. Drive: 16 plays, 80 yards, 3:39. Third quarter NE – Kevin Faulk 45-yard run (Adam Vinatieri kick), 7:33. Patriots 24–7. Drive: 8 plays, 83 yards, 4:08. NE – Antowain Smith 2-yard run (Adam Vinatieri kick), 0:54. Patriots 31–7. Drive: 11 plays, 76 yards, 5:28. Fourth quarter NE – Antowain Smith 14-yard pass from Tom Brady (Adam Vinatieri kick), 6:52. Patriots 38–7. Drive: 9 plays, 64 yards, 5:09. Top passers NE – Tom Brady – 22/26, 265 yards, 3 TD BUF – Drew Bledsoe – 28/45, 302 yards, TD, INT Top rushers NE – Antowain Smith – 29 rushes, 111 yards, TD BUF – Travis Henry – 11 rushes, 53 yards Top receivers NE – David Patten – 6 receptions, 88 yards BUF – Peerless Price – 9 receptions, 98 yards, TD Week 10: at Chicago Bears New England Patriots 2002 2;text-align:center; autocollapse Week 10: New England Patriots (4–4) at Chicago Bears (2–6) – Game summary Patriots 0 6 10 17 Bears 0 6 21 3 Memorial Stadium, Champaign, Illinois November 10, 2002 4:15 p.m. Overcast, 60 F C CBS Kevin Harlan, Randy Cross, and Beasley Reece Bob McElwee (95) 63,105 Recap, Game Book First quarter No scoring plays. Second quarter CHI – Paul Edinger 39-yard field goal, 14:51. Bears 3–0. Drive: 13 plays, 46 yards, 7:14. NE – Adam Vinatieri 57-yard field goal, 10:15. Tied 3–3. Drive: 10 plays, 31 yards, 4:36. CHI – Paul Edinger 40-yard field goal, 5:31. Bears 6–3. Drive: 9 plays, 46 yards, 4:44. NE – Adam Vinatieri 31-yard field goal, 0:04. Tied 6–6. Drive: 7 plays, 55 yards, 1:24. Third quarter CHI – Stanley Pritchett 11-yard pass from Jim Miller (Paul Edinger kick), 12:21. Bears 13–6. Drive: 2 plays, 14 yards, 0:40. CHI – Marcus Robinson 44-yard pass from Marty Booker (Paul Edinger kick), 10:09. Bears 20–6. Drive: 1 play, 44 yards, 0:09. CHI – Anthony Thomas 2-yard run (Paul Edinger kick), 6:42. Bears 27–6. Drive: 3 plays, 36 yards, 0:37. NE – Kevin Faulk 15-yard pass from Tom Brady (Adam Vinatieri kick), 3:04. Bears 27–13. Drive: 8 plays, 75 yards, 3:38. NE – Adam Vinatieri 42–yard field goal, 1:50. Bears 27–16. Drive: 4 plays, 2 yards, 0:58. Fourth quarter NE – Adam Vinatieri 25-yard field goal, 11:02. Bears 27–19. Drive: 16 plays, 54 yards, 4:44. CHI – Paul Edinger 32-yard field goal, 5:22. Bears 30–19. Drive: 9 plays, 38 yards, 5:40. NE – Kevin Faulk 36-yard pass from Tom Brady (run failed), 2:46. Bears 30–25. Drive: 7 plays, 63 yards, 2:16. NE – David Patten 20-yard pass from Tom Brady (Tom Brady–Troy Brown pass), 0:21. Patriots 33–30. Drive: 8 plays, 56 yards, 1:29. Top passers NE – Tom Brady – 36/55, 328 yards, 3 TD, INT CHI – Jim Miller – 8/18, 72 yards, TD, INT Top rushers NE – Antowain Smith – 10 rushes, 41 yards CHI – Anthony Thomas – 21 rushes, 99 yards, TD Top receivers NE – Kevin Faulk – 7 receptions, 109 yards, 2 TD CHI – Marty Booker – 4 receptions, 65 yards With the comeback win, the Patriots defeated Chicago and improved to 5-4. Week 11: at Oakland Raiders New England Patriots 2002 2;text-align:center; autocollapse Week 11: New England Patriots (5–4) at Oakland Raiders (5–4) – Game summary Patriots 3 3 7 7 Raiders 3 14 7 3 Network Associates Coliseum, Oakland, California November 17, 2002 8:30 p.m. Clear, 61 F C ESPN Mike Patrick, Paul Maguire, Joe Theismann, and Suzy Kolber Ed Hochuli (85) 62,552 Recap, Game Book First quarter NE – Adam Vinatieri 36-yard field goal, 9:09. Patriots 3–0. Drive: 11 plays, 41 yards, 5:51. OAK – Sebastian Janikowski 39-yard field goal, 0:51. Tied 3–3. Drive: 10 plays, 54 yards, 4:13. Second quarter OAK – Zack Crockett 2-yard run (Sebastian Janikowski kick), 9:58. Raiders 10–3. Drive: 10 plays, 63 yards, 5:02. NE – Adam Vinatieri 31-yard field goal, 4:16. Raiders 10–6. Drive: 13 plays, 59 yards, 5:42. OAK – Rich Gannon 2-yard run (Sebastian Janikowski kick), 0:52. Raiders 17–6. Drive: 2 plays, 8 yards, 0:44. Third quarter OAK – Zack Crockett 2-yard run (Sebastian Janikowski kick), 5:18. Raiders 24–6. Drive: 15 plays, 85 yards, 9:42. NE – Tedy Bruschi 48-yard interception return (Adam Vinatieri kick), 1:27. Raiders 24–13. Fourth quarter OAK – Sebastian Janikowski 28-yard field goal, 1:13. Raiders 27–13. Drive: 7 plays, 34 yards, 2:28. NE – Kevin Faulk 86-yard kickoff return (Adam Vinatieri kick), 0:59. Raiders 27–20. Drive: 0 plays, 0 yards, 0:14. Top passers NE – Tom Brady – 18/30, 172 yards OAK – Rich Gannon – 26/38, 297 yards, INT Top rushers NE – Antowain Smith – 15 rushes, 49 yards OAK – Charlie Garner – 15 rushes, 57 yards Top receivers NE – Troy Brown – 5 receptions, 55 yards OAK – Tim Brown – 5 receptions, 71 yards With the loss, the Patriots fell to 5-5 and finished 1-3 against the AFC West. Week 12: vs. Minnesota Vikings New England Patriots 2002 2;text-align:center; autocollapse Week 12: Minnesota Vikings (3–7) at New England Patriots (5–5) – Game summary Vikings 0 7 7 3 Patriots 7 14 0 3 Gillette Stadium, Foxborough, Massachusetts November 24, 2002 1:00 pm Partly cloudy, 49 F C FOX Kenny Albert, Tim Green, and Rob Nikoleski Gerald Austin (34) 68,436 Recap, Game Book First quarter NE – Christian Fauria 9-yard pass from Tom Brady (Adam Vinatieri kick), 3:24. Patriots 7–0. Drive: 12 plays, 67 yards, 5:40. Second quarter NE – Christian Fauria 1-yard pass from Tom Brady (Adam Vinatieri kick), 12:30. Patriots 14–0. Drive: 8 plays, 56 yards, 3:20. NE – Troy Brown 5-yard pass from Tom Brady (Adam Vinatieri kick), 8:02. Patriots 21–0. Drive: 7 plays, 29 yards, 4:01. MIN – D'Wayne Bates 6-yard pass from Daunte Culpepper (Gary Anderson kick), 0:19. Patriots 21–7. Drive: 5 plays, 61 yards, 0:50. Third quarter MIN – Kelly Campbell 7-yard pass from Daunte Culpepper (Gary Anderson kick), 4:45. Patriots 21–14. Drive: 7 plays, 44 yards, 3:19. Fourth quarter MIN – Gary Anderson 38-yard field goal, 14:42. Patriots 21–17. Drive: 9 plays, 56 yards, 3:16. NE – Adam Vinatieri 34-yard field goal, 11:09. Patriots 24–17. Drive: 7 plays, 56 yards, 3:33. Top passers MIN – Daunte Culpepper – 24/49, 272 yards, 2 TD NE – Tom Brady – 21/34, 239 yards, 3 TD Top rushers MIN – Daunte Culpepper – 5 rushes, 59 yards NE – Antowain Smith – 18 rushes, 58 yards Top receivers MIN – Randy Moss – 8 receptions, 92 yards NE – David Patten – 5 receptions, 62 yards Week 13: at Detroit Lions New England Patriots 2002 2;text-align:center; autocollapse Week 13: New England Patriots (6–5) at Detroit Lions (3–8) – Game summary Patriots 10 7 0 3 Lions 3 3 3 3 Ford Field, Detroit, Michigan November 28, 2002 12:30 pm none (indoor stadium) CBS Greg Gumbel, Phil Simms, and Armen Keteyian Larry Nemmers (20) 62,109 Recap, Game Book First quarter NE – Adam Vinatieri 31-yard field goal, 10:06. Patriots 3–0. Drive: 10 plays, 62 yards, 4:54. NE – Tedy Bruschi 27-yard interception return (Adam Vinatieri kick), 9:44. Patriots 10–0. DET – Jason Hanson 23-yard field goal, 0:08. Patriots 10–3. Drive: 12 plays, 77 yards, 6:04. Second quarter NE – Antowain Smith 1-yard run (Adam Vinatieri kick), 2:24. Patriots 17–3. Drive: 4 plays, 19 yards, 1:42. DET – Jason Hanson 45-yard field goal, 0:30. Patriots 17–6. Drive: 11 plays, 53 yards, 1:54. Third quarter DET – Jason Hanson 39-yard field goal, 4:12. Patriots 17–9. Drive: 13 plays, 64 yards, 5:51. Fourth quarter NE – Adam Vinatieri 29-yard field goal, 13:17. Patriots 20–9. Drive: 12 plays, 64 yards, 5:55. DET – Jason Hanson 46-yard field goal, 9:46. Patriots 20–12. Drive: 9 plays, 33 yards, 3:31. Top passers NE – Tom Brady – 18/30, 210 yards, INT DET – Joey Harrington – 22/44, 210 yards, 3 INT Top rushers NE – Antowain Smith – 25 rushes, 80 yards, TD DET – James Stewart – 13 rushes, 57 yards Top receivers NE – Troy Brown – 10 receptions, 111 yards DET – Germane Crowell – 5 receptions, 46 yards With the win, the Patriots improved to 7-5 and finished 3-1 against the NFC North. Week 14: vs. Buffalo Bills New England Patriots 2002 2;text-align:center; autocollapse Week 14: Buffalo Bills (6–6) at New England Patriots (7–5) – Game summary Bills 0 0 10 7 Patriots 17 3 0 7 Gillette Stadium, Foxborough, Massachusetts December 8, 2002 1:00 pm Partly cloudy, 44 F C CBS Greg Gumbel, Phil Simms and Armen Keteyian Jeff Triplette (42) 68,436 Recap, Game Book First quarter NE – Adam Vinatieri 39-yard field goal, 11:16. Patriots 3–0. Drive: 7 plays, 42 yards, 3:44. NE – David Patten 10-yard pass from Tom Brady (Adam Vinatieri kick), 3:35. Patriots 10–0. Drive: 8 plays, 86 yards, 4:31. NE – Donald Hayes 9-yard pass from Tom Brady (Adam Vinatieri kick), 3:14. Patriots 17–0. Drive: 2 plays, 9 yards, 0:08. Second quarter NE – Adam Vinatieri 46-yard field goal, 2:31. Patriots 20–0. Drive: 12 plays, 52 yards, 7:49. Third quarter BUF – Mike Hollis 26-yard field goal, 7:46. Patriots 20–3. 13 plays, 72 yards, 7:14. BUF – Eric Moulds 12-yard pass from Drew Bledsoe (Mike Hollis kick), 4:15. Patriots 20–10. Drive: 6 plays, 59 yards, 1:53. Fourth quarter NE – Antowain Smith 4-yard run (Adam Vinatieri kick), 10:06. Patriots 27–10. Drive: 7 plays, 28 yards, 3:17. BUF – Eric Moulds 4-yard pass from Drew Bledsoe (Mike Hollis kick), 1:05. Patriots 27–17. Drive: 18 plays, 88 yards, 4:43. Top passers BUF – Drew Bledsoe – 32/51, 328 yards, 2 TD, 4 INT NE – Tom Brady – 15/27, 183 yards, 2 TD Top rushers BUF – Travis Henry – 15 rushes, 60 yards NE – Antowain Smith – 17 rushes, 68 yards, TD Top receivers BUF – Peerless Price – 9 receptions, 105 yards NE – Deion Branch – 1 reception, 41 yards Week 15: at Tennessee Titans New England Patriots 2002 2;text-align:center; autocollapse Week 15: New England Patriots (8–5) at Tennessee Titans (8–5) – Game summary Patriots 0 0 7 0 Titans 0 14 7 3 The Coliseum, Nashville, Tennessee December 16, 2002 9:00 pm Cloudy, 57 F C ABC Al Michaels, John Madden, and Melissa Stark Ron Winter (14) 68,809 Recap, Game Book Second quarter TEN – Steve McNair 11-yard run (Joe Nedney kick), 12:16. Titans 7–0. Drive: 12 plays, 78 yards, 6:18. TEN – Steve McNair 1-yard run (Joe Nedney kick), 0:32. Titans 14–0. Drive: 12 plays, 58 yards, 6:48. Third quarter NE – Tom Brady 10-yard run (Adam Vinatieri kick), 13:08. Titans 14–7. Drive: 6 plays, 69 yards, 1:52. TEN – Rich Coady 24-yard interception return (Joe Nedney kick), 9:58. Titans 21–7. Fourth quarter TEN – Joe Nedney 28-yard field goal, 9:22. Titans 24–7. Drive: 15 plays, 69 yards, 9:24. Top passers NE – Tom Brady – 14/29, 134 yards, INT TEN – Steve McNair – 11/24, 136 yards, INT Top rushers NE – Antowain Smith – 6 rushes, 31 yards TEN – Eddie George – 31 rushes, 101 yards Top receivers NE – Troy Brown – 8 receptions, 73 yards TEN – Derrick Mason – 6 receptions, 86 yards With the humiliating loss, the Patriots fell to 8-6 and finished 4-4 on the road. Week 16: vs. New York Jets New England Patriots 2002 2;text-align:center; autocollapse Week 16: New York Jets (7–7) at New England Patriots (8–6) – Game summary Jets 14 3 3 10 Patriots 7 3 7 0 Gillette Stadium, Foxboro, Massachusetts December 22, 2002 8:30 p.m. Partly cloudy, 40 F C ESPN Mike Patrick, Paul Maguire, Joe Theismann, and Suzy Kolber Tony Corrente (99) 68,436 Recap, Game Book First quarter NYJ – Laveranues Coles 32-yard pass from Chad Pennington (John Hall kick), 10:22. Jets 7–0. Drive: 3 plays, 43 yards, 1:05. NE – Kevin Faulk 87-yard kickoff return (Adam Vinatieri kick), 9:47. Tied 7–7. Drive: 0 plays, 0 yards, 0:14. NYJ – Santana Moss 11-yard pass from Chad Pennington (John Hall kick), 3:34. Jets 14–7. Drive: 5 plays, 74 yards, 2:25. Second quarter NE – Adam Vinatieri 49-yard field goal, 10:20. Jets 14–10. Drive: 5 plays, 14 yards, 1:41. NYJ – John Hall 39-yard field goal, 4:35. Jets 17–10. Drive: 12 plays, 50 yards, 5:25. Third quarter NE – Christian Fauria 6-yard pass from Tom Brady (Adam Vinatieri kick), 6:25. Tied 17–17. Drive: 16 plays, 66 yards, 8:41. NYJ – John Hall 23-yard field goal, 1:54. Jets 20–17. Drive: 6 plays, 14 yards, 2:10. Fourth quarter NYJ – Wayne Chrebet 15-yard pass from Chad Pennington (John Hall kick), 9:30. Jets 27–17. Drive: 9 plays, 74 yards, 6:07. NYJ – John Hall 43-yard field goal, 2:36. Jets 30–17. Drive: 11 plays, 47 yards, 4:55. Top passers NYJ – Chad Pennington – 23/33, 285 yards, 3 TD NE – Tom Brady – 19/37, 133 yards, TD, INT Top rushers NYJ – Curtis Martin – 26 rushes, 106 yards NE – Antowain Smith – 14 rushes, 46 yards Top receivers NYJ – Laveranues Coles – 5 receptions, 78 yards, TD NE – David Patten – 5 receptions, 38 yards Week 17: vs. Miami Dolphins New England Patriots 2002 2;text-align:center; autocollapse Week 17: Miami Dolphins (9–6) at New England Patriots (8–7) – Game summary Dolphins 7 14 0 3 0 Patriots 0 10 3 11 3 Gillette Stadium, Foxborough, Massachusetts December 29, 2002 1:00 p.m. Partly cloudy, 40 F C CBS Greg Gumbel, Phil Simms, and Armen Keteyian Bob McElwee (95) 68,436 Recap, Game Book First quarter MIA – Ricky Williams 8-yard run (Olindo Mare kick), 3:17. Dolphins 7–0. Drive: 3 plays, 64 yards, 1:08. Second quarter MIA – Ricky Williams 14-yard run (Olindo Mare kick), 8:52. Dolphins 14–0. Drive: 9 plays, 87 yards, 5:13. NE – Antowain Smith 11-yard run (Adam Vinatieri kick), 2:25. Dolphins 14–7. Drive: 7 plays, 58 yards, 3:00. MIA – James McKnight 32-yard pass from Jay Fiedler (Olindo Mare kick), 1:06. Dolphins 21–7. Drive: 6 plays, 76 yards, 1:19. NE – Adam Vinatieri 41-yard field goal, 0:00. Dolphins 21–10. Drive: 7 plays, 47 yards, 1:06. Third quarter NE – Adam Vinatieri 36-yard field goal, 3:37. Dolphins 21–13. Drive: 11 plays, 45 yards, 5:03. Fourth quarter MIA – Olindo Mare 28-yard field goal, 4:59. Dolphins 24–13. Drive: 6 plays, 21 yards, 2:58. NE – Troy Brown 3-yard pass from Tom Brady (Tom Brady–Christian Fauria pass), 2:46. Dolphins 24–21. Drive: 10 plays, 68 yards, 2:13. NE – Adam Vinatieri 43-yard field goal, 1:09. Tied 24–24. Drive: 4 plays, 9 yards, 1:02. Overtime NE – Adam Vinatieri 35-yard field goal, 12:57. Patriots 27–24. Drive: 7 plays, 43 yards, 2:03. Top passers MIA – Jay Fiedler – 11/25, 110 yards, TD NE – Tom Brady – 25/44, 221 yards, TD, INT Top rushers MIA – Ricky Williams – 31 rushes, 185 yards, 2 TD NE – Antowain Smith – 19 rushes, 55 yards, TD Top receivers MIA – Dedric Ward – 4 receptions, 34 yards NE – Kevin Faulk – 9 receptions, 70 yards With the overtime victory, the Patriots eliminated the Dolphins from playoff contention and they would both finish the regular season at 9-7. Unfortunately for New England, the Jets' 42-17 win over Green Bay prevented the Pats from clinching the AFC East and eliminated them from playoff contention. This remains only season the Patriots missed the playoffs following a Super Bowl victory. This would also be the last time the Patriots both failed to clinch the AFC East and a playoff berth until 2008. New England ended the season 4-2 against the AFC East and 4-4 at home. Standings Notes References Further reading Glennon Sean This Pats Year: A Trek Through a Season as a Football Fan 2004 Taylor Trade Publishing 1-58979-119-3 registration https://archive.org/details/thispatsyeartrek00glen External links Season page on Pro Football Reference New England Patriots Super Bowl History New England Patriots Category:New England Patriots seasons New England Patriots Category:Sports competitions in Foxborough, Massachusetts